


Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four

by Ocrilio



Category: Hyperdimension Neptunia
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-06-08 18:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6868597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocrilio/pseuds/Ocrilio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Through hardships, new heroes are forged, and legends are written. When four people experience a once-in-a-lifetime event, one thing is certain; The game has changed.<br/>[Takes place during a modified Re;Birth1. Rated T for the Chosen Four's "colourful" language, among other things. Rating may increase as the story progresses.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Juddy here again, and I'm back with the project I teased at the end of Nepvania! Surprised?  
> I am, too.
> 
> This right here is a special case; this should eventually become an actual playable game, if I can gather the motivation to work on it.  
> I have made character portraits and stuff, so there's that, at least.
> 
> Got lots of bits and pieces planned for this written up since last year, and I hope to put them to use.
> 
> Now, without further ado, roll the disclaimer!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During an uneventful day, things suddenly take a turn for the magical.

* * *

  _The following is a non-profit, fan-based creation._

_Hyperdimension Neptunia is owned by Idea Factory and Compile Heart and includes characters owned by Nippon Ichi Software and Gust Corporation, now of Koei-Tecmo Games._

_Please support the original titles, and have fun._

* * *

 "Ugh..."

Juddy threw open the door to his room, glad - or relieved, at the very least - to finally be home.

It had been a particular busy day, running around doing things he didn't really care for.

"At least now I can unwind a bit, I guess."

Closing the door, he switched on his computer and waited for it to boot up.

Once it finished, Juddy consciously opened up Steam. It was a bad habit of his; forgetting that it didn't start up on its own.

"I should probably fix that... maybe," he told himself.

Shrugging, he brought up his games library, only to find something was downloading.

"An update? What could it be for?" he thought.

The download completed as it normally would, showing a message in the bottom-right corner of the screen; "Steam has finished downloading: Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1".

"Oh, it was a Re;Birth1 update, huh...?"

Curious, Juddy went to check out the change logs...

...only to be greeted by a pixelated mess that resembled a chibi Neptune, with a text box  and the words "UPLOADING SOUL..."

"The hell? Is Steam acting up again?"

He reloaded the page a few times. The same image appeared.

"Okay, this is some serious creepypasta shit right here," Juddy thought, a little freaked out.

He had to verify.

Deciding to forgo Skype for the time being, he messaged Jeremy through Steam.

* * *

**Juddy [Cold as Ice]:** got a weird update from Steam

 **Juddy [Cold as Ice]:** it said that Re;Birth1 updated but what's with that change log?

 **Major Crackhead:** I got that too

 **Major Crackhead:** Steam probably fucked itself again

 **Major Crackhead:** what's the bet a bunch of hackers got into the change log

 **Juddy [Cold as Ice]:** likely

 **Juddy [Cold as Ice]:** but just in case I'm gonna boot up the game

 **Juddy [Cold as Ice]:** start up a voice chat

 **Major Crackhead:** okay

_< Major Crackhead started a voice chat.>_

* * *

 "Okay, booting up the game now," Juddy stated, starting up Re;Birth1 for the umpteenth time.

Usually, he'd skip through the splash screens and the opening, but he sat through them this time, just in case.

"Anything yet?" Jeremy asked.

"Nope, nothing's amiss in the opening stuff."

The title screen also popped up as normal. Juddy's save games were even still present.

"Nothing in the title screen or saves, either."

Jeremy let out a 'tch'. "Probably Steam fucking up again."

Juddy sighed. "At this point, it's probable."

Then, out of a bout of sudden curiosity, he highlighted the "New Game" option.

"I'm gonna start up a new game," Juddy told Jeremy. "If I go missing, assume I've been abducted by ghosts, or something."

Jeremy laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright, new game... start!" Juddy proclaimed, hitting the A button on his controller.

Instead of the usual world map and opening narration, though, a lone text box appeared.

"System transfer complete...?" he repeated aloud.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "The hell does that mean?"

"No idea," Juddy replied, advancing the text.

This time, a voice accompanied the text that popped up.

A voice that sounded rather familiar...

_"Welcome to Gamindustri, Juddy; the First of the Chosen Four."_

"Wait, wha--?!" Juddy began.

Before he could finish the thought, a blinding light shot forth from the monitor, causing him to flinch.

"Agh, holy shit, I think I'm blind!"

"Why? What the fuck happened?" Jeremy asked.

"Really bright light. God, I do _not_ wanna have to replace shit now..."

A snort from the other side.

"...What?"

Jeremy cleared his throat, still chuckling. "Still not over that 'UPLOADING SOUL' thing. It's so ridiculous."

Juddy rolled his eyes, which were still closed.

Carefully opening one eye, then the other, he was met with the same text box as before, only this time on a canvas of white.

"...I'm kind of scared to advance the text..." he remarked.

"Well, I'm still connected, so that flash didn't disable everything," Jeremy replied. "Just do it."

"Yeah, yeah, make my dreams come true. I get it."

Juddy reached for his controller again.

"But if something happens, test your own copy, just to see if you can replicate it."

This comment made Jeremy roll his eyes. "Fine, fine. You worry too much, Juddy."

Juddy shrugged in response. "It's just how I am."

Not wanting to stall any longer, he finally pressed the A button once more.

The text disappeared, and a blank white screen was left in its place.

He instinctively pressed all of the buttons on the controller at least once.

Nothing happened.

"Well, shit. Looks like there isn't any more text."

Stepping away from the computer for a second, controller still in hand, he stared at the blank white screen, pondering.

As he was pondering, the light from the screen intensified again, stretching out in a projector-like fashion.

Finally noticing this, Juddy looked up, and dropped his controller in shock.

"Is that a _doorway_ made of _light?_ Ugh, I have so many questions..."

Juddy paused, expecting a response from Jeremy.

Instead, he was met with silence.

"Jeremy?"

Still nothing.

Peering to the right of the newly-created door, Juddy discovered the source of the problem, and rolled his eyes, heaving an annoyed sigh.

The modem was blank, as well.

"Brilliant time for this, Australian Internet," he said sarcastically.

* * *

 "Juddy? What happened?! _Juddy?!_ "

Receiving no response, Jeremy leaned back in his own chair, sighing.

"That flash of light, the weird text, and now this..."

He sighed again.

"He could be fucking with me, but that really doesn't sound like something he'd do.  
Besides, something like this is way too elaborate..."

Bringing up his own Steam library, he stared at the change log.  
"What the hell does this mean, I wonder...?"

* * *

 "What in the hell am I supposed to do about this?"

Juddy stood, still staring at the door of light before him.

"This is something out of a fantasy game."

At that moment, a voice echoed from the doorway.  
_"I sense you have many questions, First Chosen."_

Juddy's eyes widened in recognition. "That voice... _Histoire?!_ "

 _"Correct,"_ the voice confirmed. " _I am Histoire, the Tome that records the history of Gamindustri."_

Juddy nodded. "Hm. Good. Okay. So, first question; _how?!_ "

_"It is a phenomenon that is difficult to explain at length, as I do not have much time."_

Sighing, Juddy relented. "Okay, later, then. Second question; why?"

_"I have called upon four people from this world to lend their aid to Gamindustri in its time of need."_

Juddy raised an eyebrow at this. "And since I'm talking to you, and judging by what you called me, I'm not only one of these 'chosen', but the first?"

_"Yes. The three others should also be familiar to you, as well."_

Juddy shot the door a suspicious glare. "Familiar _how,_ exactly?"

 _"That will be for you to find out,"_ Histoire replied.

Juddy averted his gaze in a sarcastic fashion. "Hm. So all I have to do is walk into this doorway?"

_"That is correct, but I cannot keep this gate open for long. Please do so quickly."_

He sighed in response.

"If this really is happening, and I'm not just gonna bump into my desk like a moron, then I'm in," Juddy stated, stepping towards the 'gate'.

_"There is one more thing, however."_

He paused. "What is it?"

_"To ensure your safe passage to Gamindustri, I must temporarily block any memory you have of our world."_

"Ugh," he spat. _'There's always a catch... but...'_

"I don't exactly agree with that, but I suppose it's better than freaking them all out with 'Hey, I'm from another world and I know exactly what's gonna happen to you and when!'"

Histoire... _giggled_ at that phrasing. _"Well said."_

Filled with a renewed sense of determination, Juddy stepped through the gate, which began to disappear behind him.

_"And, once again, welcome to Gamindustri, Juddy; the First of the Chosen Four."_

* * *

  _< Juddy McLupo is online.>_

Jeremy immediately clicked on the Skype prompt and started a chat.

_'net troubles again?'_

A few minutes passed, which turned into half an hour.

No response.

_'Juddy?'  
'what's going on?'_

_'Juddy, respond!'_

_'Juddy?!'_

_'JUUUUUUUUUDDDDDYYY!!!'_

Still no response.

"Okay, something's seriously wrong. That usually gets him."

Jeremy turned his attention to the change log from earlier as the gears began to click away in his head.

What was it that Juddy said again?

_"But if something happens, test your own copy, just to see if you can replicate it."_

And so, Jeremy did just that; accessing his library, he enabled his controller and started up the game for the first time in a while.

* * *

**_ Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four  
_ ** _a Hyperdimension Neptunia fan-fiction adaptation_

* * *

 The gate Juddy had entered led to a sea of blackness.

He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"So... now what?"

_"Now, we simply wait for the transfer to complete."_

"You sound like you've done this before."

_"Indeed, though it was a time long since passed in Gamindustri."_

Juddy racked his brain, trying to think of who she was talking about, when he was hit with a sudden headache.

"Ah-- ow."

_"It seems the memory block is in place."_

Juddy, frustrated, clutched at the side of his head. "Why does it _hurt?_ "

Histoire's voice echoed through the void, concerned. _"Is it too much?"_

"Well, no, but it's just enough to be annoying-- huh. It let up."

_"The pain will only occur if you try to circumvent the memory block."_

Juddy blinked. "Then why do I still remember you?"

_"Recent memories are not blocked."_

"Convenient. Well, as long as the pain isn't constant, I can deal."

Histoire smiled - or at least, that's what Juddy assumed she was doing.  
_"I am relieved to hear that."_

Then, she continued in a serious tone.  
_"Now, I feel as if my power is weakening, so I will get to the point. Please, find Neptune, and assist her in any way you can.  
Help her to find the Key Fragments and stop Arfoire."_

Juddy stepped back. "Whoa, that's a lot of info dump at once. Who, exactly, is Nep--"

Before he could finish, a bright flash caused Juddy to wince.  
"Gah! What _is it_ with flashing lights today?!"

 _"Transfer... complete... my time has run out..."_ Histoire said, her voice cutting in and out.

"I didn't quite catch that, Histoire!"

Cracks of light began to form in the ground.

_"Remember... find Neptune... and help her..."_

"I still don't know who that is!" Juddy yelled in frustration.

As he finished his sentence, a silhouette of a girl appeared on the other side of the void-room.

 _'Is that her?'_ he thought, even as the darkness began to give way to the light.

_"End... the Console War..."_

"Well, no time like the present...!" he said to himself, before breaking into a run, black shards falling around him.

He cried out just as everything was engulfed in white.

_"Neptune...!"_

* * *

  _Meanwhile, in a forest... _

The purple-haired girl stopped in her tracks. "Compa, did you hear that?"

The girl's travelling companion stopped and turned to her. "Huh? Hear what, Nep-Nep?"

"I heard a voice just now. It was calling my name."

Compa tilted her head. "A voice? Have you heard it before?"

"Hmm... Nah, I don't think so," 'Nep-Nep' replied. "Though I probably wouldn't know, what with the whole memory loss thing."

Compa merely smiled at her in response. 

_'Nep-Nep sure says some strange things...'_

* * *

  _Elsewhere, in the same forest... _

Juddy slowly opened his eyes, so as not to blind himself for the third time that day.

Taking in the view, he proceeded to blink twice, adjusting to the light level.

"Where...?"

He sat up slowly, making sure he was in one piece, and so his head didn't spin.

"So... I've been dropped into a forest, right under a tree," he said aloud to no-one in particular.  
"I've written about it before, but I didn't think it'd actually _happen..._ "

Sighing, he stood up and dusted himself off, taking the time to stretch as he did so.

"'Kay, so everything works..."

First order of business; complete.

"Second order of business; find out what's on my head, here."

He grabbed onto the headgear and pulled it off, inspecting it. "A hat? Since when did I have a hat?"

The hat in question, when looked at from a certain angle, had a shape that Juddy found all too familiar.

"Heh, and red, too."

The wing pins on either side made him think of something entirely different, and yet, they seemed to fit the look.

He took a moment to switch the pins around, then put the hat on in reverse.

"Much better. And by the looks of things, it's not just that that's different," he noted, giving his new clothes the once-over.

A red bomber-jacket, reminiscent of something from his school days.

Black SOAP-style shoes, with neon-blue lines. Lines that he was sure emitted a faint light as he stood in the shade.

Juddy tapped the caps of his new footwear a couple of times on the ground, as if to test them.

The plain black shirt and blue denim jeans he was wearing were about the same as he was used to, so there wasn't much of note there.

"Inspection complete. All set."

Dusting himself off one final time, he left the shade of the tree, his goal fresh in his mind.

"Now to find out where I am, and then find this Neptune girl."

* * *

  ** _Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four  
Prologue_**

_-fin-_

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the first pieces are in place, and the new game begins.
> 
> ...I really need to learn when and how to end chapters.
> 
> Next time on Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four, Juddy has his first enemy encounter, and hides from a couple of girls.


	2. Impossible Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juddy has his first enemy encounter, and hides from a couple of girls.

"You know, for a forest, there's a lot more tech-looking stuff than I thought there would be-- oh."

Juddy stopped in his tracks, surveying the scene before him.

After following the stream to his right and crossing the bridge he found, he'd approached a problem; the road split in two.

"Man, I'm never good at choosing things..." he muttered. "Even if I'm probably gonna take both paths anyway..."

Closing his eyes, he deliberated on it for a time before finally shrugging. "Fuck it, I'll go right."

And so he did, venturing into the unknown... for all of two seconds, before being distracted by something else.

This time, it was a floating question mark, about the width of a sheet of paper.

"...How is that floating? Does this place just play by different rules, or something?" he asked no-one in particular.

Doing what any sane person would do in that situation, he touched it once, causing it to change into a text box.

The message on it read _'2x Herb found'_.

Juddy raised an eyebrow. "Crafting materials?"

Figuring he'd try and look at his new acquisition, he reached into his jacket pockets.

Nothing.

He sighed. "It can't ever be easy, can it?"

Thinking for a moment, he looked around the area for anything that could possibly hold herbs.

Another fruitless endeavour.

He groaned in frustration.

Then, something clicked in his head.

"No... does it really work like that?"

Shrugging mentally, he reached into his pockets again, trying to will the herbs into existence that way.

Sure enough, when he pulled his hands out, there were two plants in them.

He stared at the herbs in his hands, astounded. "Holy shit, _hammer-space pockets._ "

And he slipped his hands back into his pockets, letting go of the herbs. As now expected, they vanished completely, leaving him with his previously-empty pockets.

Then he shook his head. "As cool as that is, I need to focus. I've been saddled with an important job, and I'll be damned if I get distracted again--"

A sudden cry snapped him out of his motivational speech. "Wh--? What was that?"

He heard it again, followed by what sounded like bouncing jelly.

Looking around proved useless, so he looked down.

A slime creature with dog-like features sat at his feet.

Juddy raised an eyebrow. "What the heck am I looking at?"

The dog-slime bounced in response.

He knelt down to get a closer look at the strange slime. "Heh, it's kinda cute."

It bounced again, then let out a cry of "Nrrrraaah."

He tore his eyes from the slime-puppy and stared at nothing in particular for a few seconds.  
"Not what I expected. Anyway..."

Turning his attention back to the creature, he held out a hand. "...What's your deal, little guy?"

The slime-puppy licked his hand in response, then bounced happily.

Then it made the decision to playfully nudge Juddy.

Unfortunately, that nudge sent Juddy straight into a rock wall.

He fell out of the person-shaped hole in the rock, managing to land on his feet.  
"Nnngh... jeez, anyone catch the number of that truck?"

The slime hopped up and down in amusement, now joined by two other, slightly larger slimes.

Juddy sized the gooey trio up, then smiled.

"Oh, you wanna play rough, huh?"

The three slime-dogs cried "Nrrraaah!" in reply as he set himself into a fighting pose.

"Okay, then. Let's play."

**_[Battle start!]_ **

* * *

 

The first thing Juddy noticed is that a holographic barrier had been erected around the visible area.

The second thing he noticed was the boxes above the creatures' heads, showing their names, health and... armour points, he assumed.

The third thing...

"Oh, they're called Dogoo. Cute."

He'd have rolled his eyes, but he was too focused on the Dogoo to his left flying at him.

Learning from the previous ordeal, he brought his arms up defensively as it collided with him.  
The force of the impact still pushed him back, but not as much as the first time.

"Alright," he grinned, cracking his knuckles. "My turn."

He ran up to the left-Dogoo and punched it upward as it was bouncing, then kicked it square in its face as it fell downward.

It collided with the holo-barrier and whimpered as it burst into pixels.

Juddy stood silent for a moment, shocked.

Then he yelled the only thing that came to mind at that moment.

"Damn it, now I feel bad!"

Unfortunately for him, the momentary drop in guard allowed the Dogoo that was to his right to score a hit, slamming into his side.

 Somehow, he was still able to keep his footing as he slid a few feet.

He gritted his teeth. "You know what? _I'm over it._ "

The scenery appeared to darken as Juddy ran at the offending Dogoo, leaping into the air as he closed the distance.

As if jumping onto a pile of autumn leaves, Juddy slammed his feet into the Dogoo, crushing it as it, too, burst into pixels.

He pumped a fist in celebration. " _Yes!_ Curbstomped, ya prick!"

Scraping his shoes on the dirt a few times, just to make sure, he then turned to the tiny Dogoo that had slammed into him moments before.

It was shivering, though still wearing the standard goofy Dogoo expression.

After a few moments, Juddy sighed. "Go on, get outta here."

Just as he said that, the holo-barrier disengaged, and the tiny Dogoo hopped off in a hurry.

He chuckled to himself. "You know, for a first battle, that could have gone a lot worse."

It was at that moment that another text box appeared in his line of sight.

_"Victory. EXP gained: 4. Credits gained: 2."_

He paused. "Credits, huh? Guess it's like gold."

Shrugging, he continued to read. _"Items obtained: Dogoo Jelly x2, Healing Grass x1, Combat Gloves."_

He paused again. "Wait, combat gloves? Did I just get an equippable weapon?"

Remembering his discovery from earlier, he placed his hands into his pockets, thinking something along the lines of _'equip combat gloves'_.

Sure enough, the gloves were on his hands when he pulled them out.

"Okay, I will admit; that's _awesome._ "

He threw a few punches, as if testing them. "Huh. They're lighter than I was expecting."

Satisfied with this item drop, Juddy touched the box to get rid of it, only for another box to pop up in its place.

 _"Level up! Lv. 2 - > Lv. 3. SP Skill learned: Hyper Stomp. _Oh, so that's what was going on when everything dimmed."

That faint recollection caused the left side of his head to sting again.

He grunted in annoyance. "Oh, fine, jeez, I'll stop thinking about it."

And just like that, the pain let up.

Still mildly annoyed, he touched the box, causing it to vanish.

He then slipped his hands into his pockets again and sighed.

"I swear, the headache is just one of those stupid plot convenience things..." he muttered, setting off on the path again.

It was at the end of said path that he made a startling discovery.

"The split paths... led to the same place... the whole time?"

Juddy's left eye twitched.

"It didn't even matter _which way I went?!_ "

He stood, seething.

Then he yelled to the heavens.

_"Are you **kidding me?!** "_

* * *

 

_ Meanwhile... _

'Nep-Nep' stopped in her tracks for the second time in five minutes. "There's the voice again! C'mon, Compa, you _have_ to have heard it that time!"

Compa smiled. "I think it would've been hard _not_ to, Nep-Nep..."

* * *

 

After that annoyance-fuelled outburst, Juddy made the conscious decision to grind out his frustrations on the monsters that peppered the forest.

The tulip with a face, appropriately known as a Tulip, made him chuckle a bit, remembering a game he'd played recently.

He ended up mistaking another slime-like creature - the Dogoo-Man - with its tamer dog-like counterpart, before finding out the hard way that the Dogoo-Man hit a _lot_ harder.

It was during that scuffle that he finally figured out how to use the Healing Grass he picked up.

It tasted like mint.

* * *

 

"Aahh, I feel a bit better after that," he said to himself, wiping at his forehead. "I don't know how long it's been since I worked like this."

Juddy's frustration-induced grinding spree had left him with quite a few more items; most of them materials for crafting, though he found a floating blue cube that gifted him with instructions for something called a 'Healing Pod'.

He pulled it out and read it as he walked towards the only place in the forest he hadn't ventured into yet; the place directly ahead of where he woke up.

"Ugh, I can't make heads or tails of this..." he groaned.

Giving up on it for the time being, he stuffed the plan back into his pocket and continued on.

Or, rather, he would have, if not for the fedora-wearing, boxing-glove-clad skeleton blocking his way.

Juddy rolled his eyes at its name. "Boxer-X. That's not even subtle."

And ending that train of thought, Juddy did as he had several times before. Punch this, kick that, stomp other thing.

Surprisingly, though, the Boxer-X was still standing.

"Wow, you're built tougher than you look," he commended, just a bit surprised.  
"That just means I'll have to try something new."

He closed the short distance, waiting for the Boxer to make its move.

The Boxer obliged, throwing a punch.

Juddy grinned maliciously. "Perfect."

As the Boxer pulled back, he latched onto its arm and threw it into the opposite end of the holo-barrier.

Bone cracked as it slammed into the barrier before it exploded into pixels.

Juddy heaved a sigh of relief.

Then a thought struck him. "I'm not sure what's weirder; the fact that I just threw a skeleton into a holographic wall, or the fact that I'm starting to accept all of this as _normal,_ on top of all the other weird shit that's happened today."

A few seconds passed before he dismissed it with a shrug. "Ah well. Let's see here..."

As was standard fare at that point, he read the floating results box.  
_"Items obtained: Boxer-X Soul x1, White Hat."_

Confused by the last item, Juddy looked up.

The white hat the monster was wearing had found its way onto his head.

He closed his eyes. "Yeah, nah. I prefer the old hat."

Then he felt the new hat fade away, replaced by the had he'd been wearing.

He teased the wing pins, just to make sure.  
"Thank you."

With a customary touch of the box, he was on his way once more.

* * *

 

"Jeez, that's one hell of a crater."

Said crater - which was, admittedly, hard to miss - was the first thing that caught Juddy's eye as he entered the clearing.

"What on earth hit the ground hard enough to cause _that_ , I wonder...?"

Pacing around it for a few steps, he attempted to determine the cause.

That lasted all of two seconds, as an imprint in the center of the crater defied all logical explanation.

"Are those... D-pads?" he asked himself, eyebrow raised. "I've seen some impossible shit today, but _seriously_?"

He was about to approach the strange indent when he heard voices approaching.

For some reason, his first instinct was to get out of sight, hiding behind a nearby tree.

"The last thing I need is more hostility," he muttered, waiting pensively for the source of the voices to arrive.

* * *

 

"We're here!" Compa chirped. "This is where I found you, Nep-Nep!"

 "Wow. That's a huge hole right there," 'Nep-Nep' said, clearly surprised.

"Nep-Nep, does this make you remember anything?"

'Nep-Nep' thought for a moment, face scrunching up a bit more as she strained harder to remember.

"Um, Nep-Nep?"

It was no use.

"Ah! I can't remember a thing!" she finally yelled in frustration. "Compa, are you _sure_ I was stuck here?"

"Yes. You fell from the skies like a shooting star and landed right here."

"Like a shooting star, cutting through the night, right?"

"That's right!" Compa exclaimed.

"What's up, Compa? Why'd you raise your voice?"

"It just struck me, but maybe there's a clue around here somewhere."

Compa looked around a bit, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"Nep-Nep, did you lose anything by chance? Maybe an ID, or something?"

"I wish, but I can't remember anything, so..."

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Juddy was watching on from the tree, analysing the situation.

"I suppose the one with the purple hair is Neptune, considering the fact that she actually has the letter N printed on her hoodie-dress-thing... " he mused. peering out for a second while the two girls were distracted.

"That, and she matches the silhouette I saw before I woke up here..."

Then a realization hit him, and he slid down the tree until he was sitting on the grass.  
"I feel like such a creeper... Probably should've just shown myself."

He leaned back on the tree and sighed once more.

"This is gonna be really hard to explain..."

* * *

 

"Hey, wait..." Neptune stopped suddenly, her expression one of realization. "I do remember something I'm missing!"

"Really?!" Compa beamed. "What is it?"

"Well, that's obvious."

Compa leaned in closer, starry-eyed. "Obvious?"

"My memory!" Neptune answered, grinning.

Her exclamation sent both Compa and the out-of-sight Juddy into a state of stunned silence.

"Uh... wasn't that... funny?"

Compa shook her head in response. "Nep-Nep, I don't think this is the time to be fooling around..."

"Wait, what?" Neptune asked, genuinely confused. "I thought you were kidding when you asked if I remembered."

Compa sighed. "Joking aside, let's look for some clues."

Juddy stood up, stretched briefly, then peered out from behind his vantage point to find the two girls searching the area.

"It... feels too risky to show myself now," he concluded, turning to leave. Maybe I should just--"

_Snap._

He was so distracted by thinking of a new plan that he forgot to look out for hazards.

"Ah, crap," he cursed, quickly ducking behind the tree again.

The snap quickly caught the attention of Neptune, who began looking around; an action Compa quickly noticed after glancing in her direction, then out at the trees.

"Huh? What is it, Nep-Nep?"

"There's something moving around over there. Behind those trees."

Behind the tree, Juddy began cursing himself internally. _'I knew I should've just shown myself!'_

Compa looked out to the trees, then to Neptune again. "I... don't hear anything, Nep-Nep."

"It's probably just another monster," Neptune assumed, readying her wooden sword. "More experience is never a bad thing!"

It was at that moment that Compa locked eyes with something - or, rather, someone - behind the tree.

 _'She's seen me! Okay, don't hide again; that'll just make you look more suspicious.'_ Juddy thought, before mouthing the words "help me" to Compa, who was staring directly at him.  
_'Desperate times call for desperate measures!'_

Fortunately, Compa caught the message. "Um, Nep-Nep, I don't think that's a good idea--!"

Unfortunately, she caught the message too late.

Neptune made a beeline for Juddy's hiding spot, leapt right at him....

"Cheeeest _busteeeer!!_ "

...and smacked him right in the head, causing him to stumble backward.

Compa could only look on, shocked.

Neptune reeled back, bewildered. "Uh-oh.."

Juddy clutched his head in pain. "Agh..."

Silence reigned for a few moments, before Compa finally spoke up.

"That... wasn't a monster, Nep-Nep..."

* * *

 

_ Some time later... _

Juddy was seated near the crater after stumbling out from the sea of trees, head throbbing all the while.

Neptune smiled at him nervously. "Sorry about that. I heard a snap and thought you were one of those slimy monsters."

"I'm... not sure how to feel about that last part, but... don't worry too much about it," Juddy reassured her, waving a hand idly.

"Still, Nep-Nep did hit you pretty hard..." Compa added, giving him the once-over. "I should definitely check your head, just in case."

"N-no, I'll be fine, really!" he sputtered, waving his hands nervously. He really didn't want this girl to go to any trouble on his account.  
"My hat cushioned most of the blow, so--"

"Nope!" Compa interrupted. "I have to make sure there isn't any permanent damage. It's part of my training as a nurse."

Juddy, still slightly pensive, eventually relented. "Well... if you say so. Nurse's orders, right?"

Compa smiled brightly. "Right! Let me get my kit."

"Make sure she doesn't turn you into a living mummy, dude!" Neptune teased.

Juddy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nep-Nep, please..."

Neptune just smiled back.

Juddy removed his hat, allowing Compa to examine the area of impact.

"Hmm... There's no blood, but there's a pretty big bump here..." she stated. "I'm going to bandage up your head, okay?"

Juddy gave her a thumbs-up. "I am in your care."

As Compa began the bandaging process, Neptune stared at Juddy intently, her head rested on her hands.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I'm just thinkin'... your voice sounds familiar, is all," Neptune replied.

"Well, if you heard loud yelling earlier, then..." Juddy trailed off, looking away.

"That was you?"

"...Yeah," he answered, still not making eye contact.

"What happened?" Compa asked.

"I made a very frustrating discovery," he stated.

"Aaaand, done!" she then chirped, cutting off the bandage. "All wrapped up!"

"Wow," he said, impressed by the almost-complete absence of pain. "It's like I hadn't been smacked at all."

He stood up, turning to Compa. "I owe you one. Thank you, miss...?"

"I'm Compa, and my friend behind you is Nep-Nep!"

"I'm Neptune," she chimed in. "It's nice to meetcha!"

Juddy paused at the mention of her name. "Neptune, huh?"

"Yup! Why, something wrong?"

He smiled. _'I found her, Histoire.'_

"Oh, no, no. It's just... I've heard your name somewhere before," he told her.  
"I'm Juddy, if you were curious. At least, that's what everyone calls me."

"This is crazy," she cried. "I'm sure I've heard your voice somewhere else before!  
This has to be more than a plot-relevant convenience!"

Juddy looked on as Neptune tried to piece her theory together, pacing back and forth..  
"Is she... okay?"

Compa smiled nervously. "Please be patient with Nep-Nep. She can't remember anything."

"I see. Amnesia?"

"Yes. We came back to where Nep-Nep landed to look for clues that might help her."

He nodded. "Makes sense."

Then Compa decided to ask the question that was bugging her. "Um... why were you alone in the forest?"

"I just sort of woke up here. I think... there are holes in my memory. If I try to remember what's in those holes..." he began, trying to remember anything about his surroundings.

Right on cue, his head stung again.

"...my head starts to sting."

"Did Nep-Nep knock something loose after all?"

"Nah, this happened before she smacked me over the head, too," Juddy assured her.

Compa thought on it. "That sounds like a different kind of amnesia than Nep-Nep's..."

Neptune, snapped out of her reverie by this revelation, turned to face them again. "Wait... Juddy has amnesia, too?"

"Sort of, yeah," Juddy replied.

"I knew it! It's not just plot-convenience! It's _destiny!_ " she exclaimed.

He looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You and I are memory-loss buddies now! So we _have_ to stick together!"

"Great idea, Nep-Nep!" Compa added. "And maybe while we look for clues to Nep-Nep's memory, we can find clues to Juddy's memory, too!"

Juddy was taken aback by how willing to help him these two girls he just met were.

Eventually, he agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Neptune yelled.

The now-three-strong party renewed their efforts, searching for anything useful.

Their efforts around the crater proved fruitless, so they slid into its center to look there.

Just as they touched down inside, though, the trio heard a crack.

Compa was the first to react. "What's that sound?"

Neptune was suddenly filled with dread. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Juddy attempted to figure out the source. "That sounded like... earth moving."

The three looked at their feet, and sure enough, the earth beneath them was beginning to give way.

"The ground... it's crumbling away!" Neptune shouted, trying her hardest to climb out, to no avail.  
She slid down the edge... and into the newly-created hole.

Juddy was the next to fall - the ground crumbling from under him - immediately followed by Compa.

"We're falliiiiing!!" she screamed as they were swallowed by the darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I joked to myself about this chapter ending segueing into an Undertale crossover briefly, and was almost tempted to write it out as a joke.  
> Almost.  
> Also, I'm still not sure how to end these things. And I'm not sure if I'm getting the characters right.  
> Ah well, I'll learn.  
> Next time on Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four, two power unlocks happen, another of the Chosen Four will be revealed, and the Second will finally enter the playing field.


	3. Adventures Abound!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our intrepid heroes fight a giant bug monster, and the Second finally enters the playing field.

Neptune was the first to sit up after the three fell when the crater gave way. "Ouch... I didn't expect that. At least now we know where this story's going, huh?"

Juddy sat up next, shaking his head a bit to wake himself up. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothin', just thinkin' out loud."

Juddy laughed. "Oh, you too?"

"Wait, hold on. I can't see you. Where--?"

Neptune looked around until she found him, bathed in the faint glow of his shoes.

"...Oh, there you are. Those shoes give you away."

Juddy looked down, then shrugged. "Huh. My hunch was right. How 'bout that?"

He then climbed to his feet and dusted himself off for the second time that day. Neptune did the same in short order.

"Jeez, that's one hell of a fall we took," he noted, turning his attention to the faint ray of light emanating from up above them.    
"It's a wonder I didn't break any bones, or anything. Seriously, how high _is_ that hole?"

Neptune glanced at the opening. "Hmm, I dunno. Did we slide down?"

Juddy raised an eyebrow at that. "What?"

"I mean, the way down kinda looks like a slide..."

Upon noticing it himself, he smacked his forehead. "How did I miss that?"

A moment of silence followed.

The rays of light overhead caused Juddy to realize something was off.

"Say, what happened to Compa?"

Neptune jolted, eyes wide. "Oh, crud! Compa?! Where are you?!"

"I'm over here."

The two spun around and sighed in relief. There stood Compa, looking none the worse for wear, aside from her hair being messed up a tad.

Neptune rushed over to Compa and made a show of examining her. Juddy opted to saunter over calmly, hands in his pockets.    
"You doing okay?" he asked. "That _was_ quite a drop."

"Yessy," Compa replied, smiling. "I'm right as rain."

Juddy gave her a smile of his own. "Good to know."

"I'll say!" Neptune exclaimed, having apparently finished giving Compa her version of the once-over.  
"It would've been a disaster if you'd lost your memory, too."

"Definitely," Juddy added. "Two recovering amnesiacs is enough for this party."

With one problem solved, the three examined their surroundings.

The cavern they landed in seemed entirely natural, aside from the illuminated path leading into its depths. The cave walls were lined with crystals that emitted a faint blue glow, giving the whole cavern an eerie atmosphere.  
Faint patterns that resembled circuits also adorned the walls, giving off a faint magenta light of their own.

"Now for the second question..." Juddy began.

"...where are we?" Neptune finished, asking the question on all of their minds.

"I think we're beneath the forest," Compa answered, trying to make sense of it. "This place feels a bit weird."

"I'm getting some bad vibes from this place," Neptune added.

Juddy ran a hand over the wall as he walked, pondering. "I don't understand any of this. Is this cave natural or man-made?"

"I'm not sure," said Compa, attempting to answer. "I didn't know this cave was here..."

"The forest was like this, too," Juddy continued, still pondering while Neptune poked around, looking for anything interesting.

It was at that moment that a golden glint on the ground caught her eye.

Brushing away the dirt revealed it to be a piece of something that looked like it had been deliberately broken.

"What is this...?" she asked herself, before showing it to Compa. "Compa, can you take a look?"

Compa took it from her and examined it , turning it around a few times in her hand as Neptune watched intently.

"Any idea what it is?" she asked.

 Compa shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no."

" Hmm... you think it's worth asking him?" she asked, gesturing to Juddy, who was still lost in thought.

"Good idea, Nep-Nep," Compa replied. "Maybe Juddy will know what it is."

Neptune nodded, cleared her throat and yelled. _"Hey, Juddy! C'mere a minute!"_

"Agh! Did you have to _yell?!_ I'm like three feet in front of you!" Juddy yelled back, forcibly knocked out of his reverie. "So what is it?"

Compa was the one to ask. "Do you, by any chance, know what this is?"

She handed the piece over to him.

"Hmm..." He looked the piece over a few times. "I'm not sure if this means anything, but..."

"But...?" the girls asked in unison.

"But... there's something... _familiar_ about it, like I've seen it, or something like it, somewhere before."

The girls blinked.

"So... do you know what it is, or...? Neptune interjected.

"It looks like part of a key. Why would part of a key be doing here?" he asked. "And why...?"

At that moment, a jolt of energy - and recognition - ran through him.

Images - memories - of his surroundings, the girls before him, and everything afterward flickered before his eyes as the memory block struggled to keep itself in place.

The resulting headache became nigh-unbearable. Juddy fell to one knee, clutching his head.

"Juddy?! What's wrong?!" Compa asked, scared for him.

"Ngh... just... the mother of all headaches..." Juddy groaned, somehow keeping it together despite the pain.

"Quick, Compa, do you have anything that'll help?" asked Neptune, starting to panic herself.

"Um, I can check, but I'm not sure if there's anything in here..."

To Juddy, the girls' panicked conversing was being drowned out by a ringing growing in volume.

He shut his eyes tight to try and ease the pain. This caused the pictures in his mind to speed up, cracks beginning to run through them, until...

...the pain stopped, accompanied by the sound of a lock breaking.

"I... remember..." he mumbled to himself, finally standing up.

Neptune and Compa stopped their panicking at the sound of his voice. "Huh?"

"The headache just... stopped," he reassured them. "I'm fine."

Compa sighed in relief, while Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Is this gonna become a constant thing with you?"

"Ugh, I hope not. I hate headaches."

Juddy may have looked calm on the outside, but on the inside...

'This is bad, this is very, very bad! I remember everything, and I can't tell them any of it, or I risk looking like a lunatic!' he thought, frantically searching for an answer to his predicament.

_"Juddy, please take a deep breath and calm yourself."_

One thing that shocked him was hearing a reply to his unspoken question.

The second thing that shocked him was the familiarity of the voice.

"Histoire..." he began to ask. "Was that experience... meant to happen while I had the Key Fragment?"

_"Unfortunately not. That was an unintended side-effect,"_ Histoire replied, concerned.

"Then... why did that happen? Are my memories concerning Gamindustri just too strong to keep contained for more than seconds at a time?"

_"That... may be it."_

He rolled his eyes. "That's... oddly convenient." Then, his eyes turned to Neptune and Compa, happily chatting away like his earlier display never happened.  
"What am I going to do...?"

_"I could explain your situation in your place. I am certain Neptune will understand."_

"Hmm... maybe..."

Suddenly, a loud thump caused the floor of the cavern to shake.

Juddy heaved an exasperated sigh."Come on, world. Five minutes of peace. That's all I ask."

A growl echoed through the cave.

"Where's that event-flag-inducing growl coming from?" asked Neptune.

"Nep-Nep! Over there!!" Compa yelled.

The owner of the growl stepped into the lit area, revealing itself to be what looked like a spider-centaur wielding half of a key as a weapon.

It then proceeded to grab Compa, who shrieked. "Please help meeee!!"

Juddy and Neptune cried out. _"Compa!!"_

"Oh no! She's being [CENSORED] and [CENSORED]!" she then shouted, half-jokingly.

"Not the time, Neptune!" Juddy scolded her. "What do we do?!"

She pulled out her wooden sword and took a stance. "We get _serious_ , that's what!"

Then she rushed at the giant half-bug. "We'll save you, Compa!"

_"Neptune's attack."_

She took a few swings at the beast, but her sword bounced right off.

_"No effect."_

She reeled back. "What the--?"

Juddy jumped up, activating the only SP skill he had at that moment.  
"Might as well _give it a shot!_ "

_"Juddy's attack."_

"Hyper Stomp!" he yelled, slamming his feet at full force into the beast's head.

It reeled back, but the attack only served to anger it more.

_"Three damage."_

He deadpanned. "Histoire, was that really necessary?"

_"I am sorry, but I could not stop myself,"_ Histoire replied.

"You heard the attack comments too, Juddy?" asked Neptune.

Juddy nodded. "Yup."

"Oh good, so I'm not crazy," she remarked, before coming to a realization. "Wait, I've heard that voice before. Have we met?"

_"I am Histoire. I thought I explained this when I was in your dream, Neptune."_

Just then, the beast holding Compa took a downward swing at Juddy, which he barely managed to dodge.  
"Oh, crap. I think I might have pulled aggro."

* * *

 

He then came up with a new plan; to distract the beast long enough for Neptune to talk to Histoire.

It seemed simple in theory.

But as Juddy dodged for his life, he realized that he may have made a mistake.

He lured it away from the seemingly-solitary Neptune, and engaged it alone.

He just had to buy time for _it_ to happen.

Dodging everything the monster threw at him - somehow - he periodically glanced back at Neptune, trying to gauge the point the conversation had reached.

A few times, this robbed him of precious dodging seconds, nicking off a few locks of his hair.  
"Jeez, talk about your close shaves.."

All the while, he was trying to simultaneously make sure Compa was faring okay (which, by some miracle of fortitude, she was) and deal enough damage to get the spider-centaur to _just let go of her_.

Three.

Four.

Three again.

Ten. _'A crit?'_ he asked himself.

This was getting nowhere in a hurry, but he kept it up anyway.

Frightened for his life, he fought on.

Adrenaline was one hell of a motivator.

_'So... this is what a boss battle feels like.'_

* * *

 

Compa, meanwhile, could do nothing but watch as he chipped away at the monster with little success.

She was grateful for his help, no matter how ineffective it was, but worried that he was overdoing it.

For all his determination, he was starting to tire out.

It became clear that he couldn't save her alone.

Compa turned her focus to Neptune, still talking to... thin air.

"Nep-Nep, please hurry! Juddy can't last much longer on his own!"

* * *

 

"Wha--?"

Neptune broke away from her conversation with Histoire for the first time since it started. In fact, she hadn't even noticed Juddy slip away from her.

Sure enough, he was still trying to fight through his increasing fatigue.

"How long has _that_ been going on?" she asked.

_"I believe he lured it away so that I could converse with you without incident."_

"Then I need to help him save Compa!  Please, lend me a hand!"

_"Of course. Neptune, may your power arise..."_

A pillar of light surrounded her as she touched down, and faded just as suddenly.

Gone was the short, hoodie-clad Neptune that Compa, and at this point Juddy, were accustomed to seeing.

In her place stood what could only be described as a more mature version of her, exuding power and confidence, not to mention the change in clothes; a woman that could only be described as 'divine'.

"Nep-Nep..." Compa gasped, clearly in awe. "Wow! You transformed!"

Juddy simply smiled, thinking to himself. 'That is a _lot_ cooler in person.'

Even the spider-creature seemed taken aback.

Neptune took a moment to take in her new form. "Is this... really me?"

_"Yes. This is your true form, Neptune."_

She closed her eyes, feeling the new rush of strength. "This power... it's flowing from within. There's no way I can lose with this!"

Sprouting  what looked like electronic butterfly wings from her back, she floated to Juddy, who was almost out of breath, and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You've done well, Juddy. I'll handle the rest."

Juddy smiled back. "Give 'em hell for me."

Then, Neptune drew her sword, also sporting a new form, and flew at full speed towards the monster.

The holo-barrier appeared around her, the monster, and Juddy.

"I'll save you, Compa!" she yelled.

* * *

 

As she battled the creature that was referred to by the tag above its head as a Guard Vermin, Juddy experienced two things.

One of those things was a feeling of being useless, unable to seriously fight the Vermin; even his earlier efforts had only taken down about one-eighth of its visible health at best.

The other, though, was much less helpful.

The observation that this new Neptune... was incredibly attractive.

The first feeling began to fade as the second won out.

Even with that in mind, he managed to follow the heated battle unfolding before him.

Every clash, every blow, every dodge.

Neptune moved with confidence and grace.

_"Juddy?"_

A voice called his name, but he didn't respond. He was too focused on Neptune.

_"Juddy? Can you hear me?"_

That did the trick. Juddy shook his head, trying to rid himself of thoughts inappropriate for that time.  
"Sorry about that, Histoire. I was... miles away."

Refocusing on the battlefield, he analysed the current situation.

The Guard Vermin was at about half-health, but still raring to fight.

Neptune, on the other hand...

"Histoire, how long has it been since the fight started?" Juddy asked.

_"Five minutes. Why do you ask?"_

"Something's wrong. She's breathing heavily."

Sure enough, he was right. The prolonged fight had started to take its toll on her.

The feeling of hopelessness flared up again in full force.

"The fight wasn't supposed to last this long...!"

Juddy stared hard at the ground, fists clenched. "I still want to help her, but I can barely chip into it, and even the only real attack I know doesn't do jack and shit! Agh, this is so frustrating!"

Histoire fell silent for a moment, as if in thought.

Then, she said something that surprised him. _"There is something I can do to help you."_

* * *

 

A few more strikes.

Just a few more strikes, and this fight would be over.

But she couldn't, for the life of her, get those last few hits in. And she knew why.

She was focused primarily on keeping Compa out of harm's way while the Vermin had its grip on her.

At the same time, she was keeping an eye on Juddy, who hadn't moved in a while.

Was he still talking to Ms. Heavenly Voice?

She had no way of knowing. She was too far away to hear the conversation.

The Guard Vermin waved Compa around in its hand, as if to goad her into attacking.

And it almost worked, as Neptune readied her sword.

Or, rather, it would have, if a sizeable rock hadn't sailed right by her and smacked the Vermin right between the eyes.

There was only one place where it could have come from.

* * *

 

Juddy let out a deep breath. 'No time like the present...'

"Hey!!"

The Guard Vermin looked around in a rage, trying to find the culprit behind the flying rock.

_"Over here, you overgrown bug!!"_

It finally locked on to the source of the taunting voice.

Juddy smiled as he picked up another rock. _Perfect._

He then tossed it in his right hand like a ball. "Yeah, there's more where that one came from!"

Neptune turned to him in shock. "What are you _doing?!_ "

He only stared at the quickly-angering beast in the distance. "I have an idea."

The Vermin snarled, readying its key-sword, and rushed at him.

Neptune steeled herself, ready to engage. "Are you sure about this?"

Juddy stood his ground, oddly confident. "A lot can change in five minutes, Neptune."

It closed the distance quickly, swinging its blade in a downward arc, which both of them easily dodged.

In retaliation, Juddy leapt into the air, readying the only SP Skill he had.

_"Hyper Stomp!"_

The force of the attack was much greater than it was before, sending the Vermin stumbling back. It dropped Compa and its sword and clutched at its head, roaring in pain.

Neptune leapt into action, grabbing Compa the instant its grip faltered, and set her at a safe distance. "There. You're safe now, Compa."

"Wow, you're amazing, Nep-Nep," Compa breathed, barely processing what just happened.

Neptune smiled at her before turning to leave.

Compa grabbed her arm before she could. "Wait, let me heal you!"

And she did just that, using her _First-Aid Kit_ to restore Neptune to full health.

"Thank you, Compa."

"No problem!" Compa chirped, back to her usual sunny self. "Now go and give that meanie monster what-for!"

Nodding, Neptune flew back into the fray just in time to see Juddy knock the Vermin down with another _Hyper Stomp._

It staggered to its feet once more, using its sword as leverage.

"Finally had enough, big guy?" he taunted, a cocky grin worming its way onto his face.

Once again, his outer demeanour was at odds with his inner thoughts. Even with whatever it was Histoire did, he was ready for everything to go wrong at any moment.

'Okay, final push,' he thought to himself. 'I hope, for our sake, that this works...'

Letting out another breath, he concentrated.

A feeling of warmth surged through him. He remained calm, concentrating the warmth into his hands.

He felt something spark to life, and when Neptune and Compa could only look on in confusion and awe, he knew.

He knew it had worked.

Compa could only manage a faint "wow..."

"Juddy... when did you...?" Neptune asked.

He gave her a sidelong glance. "It's like I said."

Then, he set into a combat stance again, attention turned to the recovered Guard Vermin.

The flames now coating his hands crackled, as if in hunger.

"A lot can change in five minutes."

Neptune looked on, many questions swirling around in her head.

'What did the voice _do?_ Did she do to him what she did to me...?'

As she thought, the Guard Vermin let out a roar and rushed again at Juddy, who was still strangely calm in the face of the charging, rage-filled behemoth.

The Vermin swung its sword at him. At that moment, he jumped toward it, fist pulled back, and delivered the hardest flame-cloaked punch he could muster right into its jaw.  
It staggered back, clutching its head and roaring in a mix of rage and anguish.

Not letting up, he dashed in once more, kicking it in the head again as it ducked.  
His footwork continued, dealing damage to anything within their range.

The fire in his hands flared up one more time, ready for the last hit.

He leapt up, kicking off of the ground as hard as he could, and let himself fall fist-first, spinning his body as he did so.

The force was enough to knock the Vermin against the ground, its blade spinning out of its reach.

Dazed, but still conscious, it climbed to its spindly legs and let out a low growl.

"It's made of tough stuff, but I think we've got it on the ropes," Juddy concluded, the flames in his hands dispersing.  
The fatigue was starting to show again, but he ignored it.

Neptune flew past him. "I'll take it from here! _Cross Combination!_ "

She charged at the downed Vermin and slashed at it several times, almost batting it around like a ragdoll, knocked it into the air and followed up with one decisive slash, tossing it back to the ground.

With a grumble, the Guard Vermin finally collapsed.

The adrenaline slowly leaving him, Juddy de-equipped his Combat Gloves and fell to his knees.   
"Ooooooh my god that was stressful."

At the same time, in a flash, Neptune returned to her tiny, sprightly form, still somehow full of energy.   
"Whoo! Score one for the good guys!"

Compa, now fully recovered, bounded over to them. "You two were so amazing! You beat that monster like it was nothing!"

"I wouldn't call that 'nothing'..." Juddy replied, smiling nervously.

Neptune, however, let out a breath. "Man, I feel tired all of a sudden..."

Fighting back the urge to quip sarcastically, he just let her be.  Instead, he turned his attention to the fourth person in the equation.  
"Thanks for the assist, Histoire."

_"Oh, there is no need to thank me,"_ she assured him. _"You are the one who put the power to use. Both you, and Neptune, performed excellently."_

He glanced at Neptune, who seemed to be enjoying the praise.

_"And Compa,"_ Histoire continued, _"are you okay?"_

"Yessy!" Compa beamed. "Right as rain, all thanks to Nep-Nep and Juddy!"

_'It was mostly Neptune, though,'_ Juddy thought to himself as he looked on.

Though after that little exchange, Compa stopped in her tracks and put a hand to her mouth in confusion. "Um, Nep-Nep? Whose voice am I hearing, and where is it coming from?"

"Oh, that's just Ms. Heavenly Voice, or... Histoir... what was it again?" Neptune asked, seemingly losing steam in the middle of her sentence.

"Histoire," Juddy stated, finishing her thought. "Seriously, Nep, you were almost there..."

"Ah, that's right! Histy!" she chirped happily.

But then she stopped, realizing something.  
Compa seemingly came to the same realization, and both of them turned to Juddy.  
"Nep?"

Juddy gave them a look of bewilderment. "Yeah. It's a nickname. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothin'!" Neptune answered. "In fact, I like it!"

"So do I," Compa added. "It's like Nep-Nep!"

The bewildered expression never left his face in spite of their approval, however.  
"I'm... glad?"

_"In any case, you can call me Histy if you wish,"_ Histoire added, steering the conversation back on track.

"Can I call you Histy too?" Compa asked.

_"You may,"_ she replied. _"It's nice to meet you, Compa."_

Compa smiled at nothing in particular. "It's nice to meet-- um, hear you too, Histy."

"Yeah, I think I'll just stick with 'Histoire' in this case," Juddy stated.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from behind them.

They spun around, and were greeted with the Guard Vermin leaning on its sword for balance; clearly hurting, but still alive.

_"It's aliiiiiiive!!"_ screamed Neptune and Compa.

Sighing, Juddy re-equipped his gloves and rolled up his sleeves. "Do you _ever_ quit?"

"Run, Compa!"  
"Y-yes!"

The two began to flee, but looked back when they realized Juddy wasn't directly behind them.  
"Juddy! We gotta go!" Neptune yelled.

"Yeah, one sec."

And he jumped up yet again and kicked it straight in the jaw.

The Vermin roared at him and swung viciously.

Barely dodging the swing, the colour drained from his face.

"Aaand now I'm done," he concluded, de-equipping his gloves and sprinting off to catch up with Neptune and Compa, the lumbering monster on their trail.

* * *

 

The three climbed out of the hole and ran for the exit to the forest, eventually ending up sprinting through a set of winding streets on the outskirts of a city.

Of course, nobody was paying any attention to their surroundings, still running for their lives.

They eventually came to an apartment complex, which they immediately took advantage of, running in.  
Compa pulled out a key from her pouch and unlocked a door, which they barrelled into almost as soon as it was opened.

Neptune rolled through and landed face-down on the floor of what Juddy assumed was Compa's very cutely-decorated apartment.  
"Did we... get away...?" she wheezed.

"Yeah..." Compa breathed, also tired. "That was... a close call..."  
She set her giant syringe against the wall and collapsed on her couch, still attempting to catch her breath.

Juddy just stood awkwardly near the door. "I..."  
He brought a hand to his chest. "...am not as out-of-breath as I thought, wow."

_"Even after all the damage it took... it was still alive...?"  
_ Histoire piped up again after falling silent during the chase.

He sighed in response. "I don't know how it could still get up after all of that, but we did get _this_."  
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the Key Fragment he'd kept safe during that whole ordeal.

As expected, the energy returned to the room. Neptune bounced up. "Ah, right, the key thingy! Hey, Histy, do you know what this is?"  
Compa sat up as well, curious.

_"This is a Key Fragment; a piece needed to release me from my seal."_

"You're sealed, Histy?" Compa asked, sliding to the table in the center of the room.  
Neptune did the same, as did Juddy, who placed the Key Fragment in the middle of it.

_"Yes, and I need your help to release me. There are four of these Fragments, including this one, hidden in each of the Lands."_

Due to already knowing all of this, Juddy slowly tuned out, taking in his surprisingly cute surroundings.  
_'I almost feel like I could get a toothache just looking at this place for too long. Feels... cosy, though.  
Sure beats the forest I woke up in.'_

He crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, watching the two girls he'd become acquainted with bantering back and forth.  
_'This whole thing is still so surreal...'_

Eventually, the subject of their conversation turned briefly to Juddy, and he perked up again; not quite following, but aware enough to respond if they needed him to.

_"...he is-- ah."_

Histoire, about to launch into another explanation, stopped short.

"What's up, Histy?" asked Neptune.

_"The power of the Key Fragment is running out. I will not have enough time to explain,"_ she revealed, almost disappointed.  
_"However, I can do one last thing before the residual energy disappears completely."_

The Key Fragment shone with a brilliant light.

* * *

 

Somewhere, within Lastation, a twin-tailed girl shuddered.

"Why do I have the feeling something ridiculous is about to happen to me?"

That was the last thing the girl thought before an impact from above knocked her out cold.

* * *

 

"What was that?" Compa asked.

_"I have called upon a friend of Juddy. If I am correct, he should be in Lastation."_

Juddy was now paying full attention to this; thankful to Histoire, but also confused.   
"Which friend did you call?"

_"I... apologize... power... running out... his... name... is J--"_

Histoire's power ran out before she could finish, and the room fell silent.

Juddy's head found its way into his arms again, but for a different reason.  
"Ugh..."

Compa patted him on the back as Neptune hopped up and left the room shouting something about a 'pudding refill'.

Several seconds passed in silence before she spoke up again.   
"I have a question."

Upon hearing her, Juddy sat up immediately. "Yeah? What's up?"

"I was thinking about back in the cave, and you were looking at Nep-Nep an awfully long time..." Compa pointed out. "Why?"

"N-no reason. No reason at all," Juddy stuttered, eyes darting every which way.

Neptune chose that moment to walk back into the room, pudding in hand. "Whatcha talkin' about?"

"Nothing!" Juddy shouted inadvertently, standing up from the table in a hurry.

"Oh, I was just asking why he was looking at you for so long back in the cave," Compa replied.

Juddy was mortified, blushing a few shades brighter. _"Compa!!"_

"Oh?" Neptune grinned knowingly, shooting him a wink. "See something you liked~? "

Juddy slumped down to the table again, hiding his head in his arms once more. "Leave me alone..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, baby.


End file.
